Jake the Alligator Man
Encyclopedia
Jake the Alligator Man is an alleged half-man, half-alligator
on display in apparently mummified condition at Marsh's Free Museum, a tourist trap
in Long Beach, Washington
. He was acquired by the Marshs for $750 in 1967 from an antique store.
His image was used by the Weekly World News
on November 9, 1993 for front-page article, "Half-human, half-alligator discovered in Florida swamp." The periodical subsequently reported on his escape from captivity, killing of a Miami
man, and giving birth.
Jake has acquired a cult following
in Northwestern
popular culture
. Bumper stickers featuring the oddity can be commonly seen throughout Washington and Oregon
.
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
on display in apparently mummified condition at Marsh's Free Museum, a tourist trap
Tourist trap
A tourist trap is an establishment, or group of establishments, that has been created with the aim of attracting tourists and their money...
in Long Beach, Washington
Long Beach, Washington
Long Beach is a city in Pacific County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,283 at the 2000 census and grew to 1,392 at the 2010 census...
. He was acquired by the Marshs for $750 in 1967 from an antique store.
His image was used by the Weekly World News
Weekly World News
The Weekly World News was a supermarket tabloid published in the United States from 1979 to 2007, renowned for its outlandish cover stories often based on supernatural or paranormal themes and an approach to news that verged on the satirical. Its characteristic black-and-white covers have become...
on November 9, 1993 for front-page article, "Half-human, half-alligator discovered in Florida swamp." The periodical subsequently reported on his escape from captivity, killing of a Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
man, and giving birth.
Jake has acquired a cult following
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
in Northwestern
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. Bumper stickers featuring the oddity can be commonly seen throughout Washington and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
External links
- 'Alligator Man' of Long Beach: His past is a murky swamp of tall tales (article in The Columbian)
- Jake's Page at www.marshsfreemuseum.com